Speakers
Description
Introduction
Dictionaries, traditionally perceived as linguistic repositories, have evolved to practical tools incorporating a diverse range of features, with one notable addition being the inclusion of pictures (see Gouws et al., 2013; Liu, 2015; Biesaga, 2016; Lew at al., 2018; Dziemianko, 2022, to name just a few). This study delves into the role of pictorial illustrations in monolingual dictionaries. We take pictures in various general dictionaries as a starting point of our considerations aiming to arrive at an outline of the treatment of the visual materials in The Academic Dictionary of Contemporary Czech (https://slovnikcestiny.cz, henceforth ADCC). Particular attention is paid to various types of illustrations, the relation between verbal and visual information, and the question of which meanings should be illustrated.
Status quo
We find pictures mostly in dictionaries intended for reception, and they are a standard feature in learners’ dictionaries. The function of pictures is to provide visual support for the verbal description of the semantic content of language items, with visual descriptions translating information into a form that is more analogous to reality (Svensén, 2009, p. 298). Pictures have a more immediate effect, and their level of abstraction is lower than that of language. Additionally, pictures enhance the learning effect as they appeal to users’ previous experiences of the world and provoke “aha” reactions. Being more concrete, pictures excel in describing particular things and their appearance, whereas language is generally better at describing actions and states of affairs (Svensén, 2009, p. 298). On the negative side, they are space-consuming, expensive, and mostly demand a significant deal of work. Therefore, they should never be included gratuitously. There are several types of visual elements in dictionaries. While photographs are more realistic, drawings can more effectively highlight typical features of an object. Visuals can depict a single object, multiple types within the same class, an object in its normal surroundings, an object in functional operation, actions and processes, objects and terms within a subject field, characteristic aspects of a subject, or environments with typical objects and activities. These typically focus on nouns and, less often, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, etc. (Svensén, 2009, pp. 301313). Regarding the Czech dictionary landscape, the only general monolingual dictionary incorporating visual elements is nechybujte.cz, which offers some problematic pictures: e.g., pulovr (the only definition is ‘piece of clothing’, but the picture shows ‘exercise’) or kufřík (in Czech, a clear distinction is made between briefcase and attaché case, it cannot be the same object, but cf. aktovka).
The Academic Dictionary of Contemporary Czech
There are no visual elements in the ADCC at present, and there is limited information on this topic in the conceptual materials (Kochová & Opavská, 2016; Šemelík et al., 2023). This might be surprising, but the state of Czech lexicography must be considered: the ADCC is the first completely new larger academic monolingual dictionary in over 40 years. Given the prioritization, pictures are considered a “nice-to-have”, not a “must-have”. During the development process, some earlier decisions have been reconsidered. The printed version has been set aside, and the online version has gained prominence, allowing for the incorporation of pictures in the ADCC. The central question is which meanings should be illustrated. Pictures will be added to the ADCC in two phases: In phase one, images will be provided for concrete nouns by linking the entries to Google Pictures. Phase two will focus on more complex concepts (e.g., “being lonely”), for which images are rarely found in other dictionaries, utilizing new AI capabilities currently in the test phase.
Conclusion
The transition to an online format has opened new opportunities for incorporating pictures in the ADCC. The phased approach planned –initially linking to external sources for concrete nouns, followed by the inclusion of AIgenerated images for abstract concepts –demonstrates a strategic method for enhancing the dictionary’s functionality without compromising its scholarly rigor.
